Have you ever faced challenges to find your windows product key while re-installation or any other process? Windows product key is an authentication license, which verifies that you are using the original copy of the Windows operating system. This article is going to explain about the product key and help you out to find your Windows 10 product key. For many years Windows is publishing product key on a sticker that was parked outside of the machine.
They also use to mention product key in Windows manual guidebook. Now in the modern era, as technology is evolving and moving towards digitalization, manufacturers keep it stored within the system’s BIOS. This in-built stored license key is automatically recalled and used in case of any reinstallation or restoring the Windows backup.
There is a more advanced method, which is playing a very importing role nowadays to get product key. Nowadays, manufactured linking the Windows license key to their Microsoft account. You can retrieve your license key anytime by just login with your Microsoft account. You can authenticate your Windows copy by just log in and validate your account.
So before we move ahead to explain the different methods to retrieve the product key, let me give an overview of different types of the product key. Have you thought about using your product key on your friends PC? Many of us must have thought of doing so and got failed too.
Therefore, here are a basic type of windows product key and their use:
1. Windows OEM keys
These keys are mapped with a unique computer and it won’t work with any other computer. If you try to activate another computer by using this key, you will fail. This key is in-build within the system and it will be automatically applied to activate and authenticate your system.
2. Retail keys
Their keys are directly shared by the manufacturer or if any retailers if you are buying it directly like Microsoft, Flipkart, Amazon, etc. These kind of keys are transferrable and you can use to other PC. The transferred process of this kind of key should happen automatically as these are kind of digital keys.
3. Free Upgrade
These are types of a key when you are using Windows 7 or 8 and upgrade your operating system to Windows 10 free. Their kind of key is entitled digitally as a Free upgrade and can be transferred to only one other system.
So, above are basic product key types and their terms of use that help to get a clear view about different product keys. In addition, now you should get your answer to failing your product key when you have tried on your friends’ computer.
Now, we are going to explain some simple methods to find your Windows 10 product key that is stored in your system somewhere in BIOS. However, before finding it, 1st you need to check whether you have a digital license or not.
4. Checking Digital license in your PCs
You can verify about Digital license in your windows 10 system by navigating to setting page. In Windows Setting page, select ‘Update & Security’ option and then select the ‘Activation’ option to confirm your Digital license. In this page, activated license displays ‘Windows is activated with the digital license’.
This page provides only information about whether you have a digital license or not. Even if you have a digital license, this page does not display the product key. To get the product key below is the process.
A. Using Command Prompt:
You can get the Windows 10 product key by running the code ‘wmic path software licensing service get OA3xOriginalProductKey’ in your window command prompt. This simple code gives information about your full window product key.
- To open the command prompt window, type ‘cmd’ word into your window search field & select result
- Write the code wmic path software licensing service get OA3xOriginalProductKeyin to command prompt window and hit on entering button. This command gives the result of your product key.
B. Running Visual Basic Script:
You can also find your Windows 10 product key by using Visual Basic Script. There are set of codes that you can copy in a text file and saved this file with extension as .vbs. Run this .vbs file by simply double click and it will pop-out the Windows product key. This method also provides you the option to store this key at your desired location
- Open a notepad or any text storing application and copy the below-attached code.
- Save the file with extension .vbs and run it by double click
So, now you can get your window product key by following this article. There are easy and do not require any third party application or any hidden setup. Even if your first-time window user who just logged in to PC and knowing nothing about any code or setup, these methods help you out to find your Windows 10 product key.